How to Add Text to a Photo

Add text to a photo and watermark your images — or do it in one click.

6 min read · 加水印教程

What is a text watermark?

A text watermark is text — a brand name, a logo word, a date, or a copyright line — placed on top of a photo so everyone can see who owns it. It's the simplest way to protect an image and to brand a whole catalog at once.

Adding text to a photo serves two jobs at once: protection (a watermark stops casual reuse) and promotion (a name on every shot builds recognition). The same operation — write text over an image — handles both.

How to add text to a photo online (the fast way)

The fastest way to watermark photos is a free online tool. Upload your photo, type the text, pick a color and a position, and the watermark is written onto the image in your browser in a second or two.

Because it runs locally, there's no upload wait, no account, and no watermark-on-your-watermark — you download a clean PNG or JPG. Try our add-text-to-image tool free, no signup required.

How to add text to an image in Photoshop

In Photoshop, press T for the Type tool, click where you want the text, and type. Use the Options bar to set the font, size, and color. Lower the layer's Opacity (in the Layers panel) to around 70% so the text reads as a watermark rather than a headline.

For a repeating watermark, duplicate and rotate the text layer by 45° (Ctrl/Cmd+T) and copy it across the canvas. Export with File ▸ Export ▸ Export As (PNG or JPG).

How to watermark photos in Canva

In Canva, press T to add a text box, type your watermark, and drag it into place. Set the color and reduce the transparency (the checkerboard icon, top-right) to fade it into the photo. Canva's text-to-image feature is a different thing — it generates images from a prompt, not text on a photo.

Canva needs an account and applies its own branding on the free plan. A free in-browser watermark tool finishes the same job with no signup.

White text on black, grey text on white

Contrast is what makes a watermark legible. White text on a black background (or any dark photo) pops instantly; black text on a white background is the classic catalog mark; soft grey text on a white background is subtle but still readable.

Pick the color that fights your photo, not the one that matches it. If the background is busy, a tiled diagonal watermark in semi-transparent white or grey stays visible across every part of the image.

Manual editing vs a one-click online tool

Adding text by hand in Photoshop or Canva means choosing a font, a size, a color, an opacity, and a position — a minute or two per image, and easy to get inconsistent across a batch.

A one-click online text watermark tool like deervo handles all of it in seconds: upload, type, pick, download. No software, no signup, no watermark on your watermark. Try it free.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add text to an image?

Upload the photo to an add-text-to-image tool, type your text, pick a color and a position, and click Add text. The text is composited onto the photo in your browser and you download a clean PNG or JPG.

How do I watermark my photos?

Watermarking a photo is the same as adding text to it: type your name, logo, or copyright line, set the opacity to around 70%, and place it where it can't be cropped out. A tiled diagonal watermark covers the whole image for stronger protection.

How do I add text to a photo for free?

Use a free in-browser text watermark tool like ours — no signup, no install. Upload the photo, type the text, and download. Nothing is ever uploaded to a server.

How do I put white text on a black background?

Upload the dark photo, choose the white text color, and add your text. White on black has the highest possible contrast, so even a low-opacity watermark stays legible. The same steps give you grey text on a white background or black text on white.

How do I add text to an image in Photoshop?

Select the Type tool (T), click on the photo, and type. Set the font, size, and color in the Options bar, then lower the layer opacity to about 70% for a watermark. Export as PNG or JPG.

How do I watermark photos in Canva?

Press T to add a text box, type your watermark, then use the transparency control to fade it in. Canva text-to-image is different — it generates an image from a prompt instead of writing text onto a photo. For a no-signup alternative, use a free online watermark tool.

What color should my watermark be?

Pick the color that contrasts with your photo. White text on a dark or black background, black text on a white background, and soft grey text on white are the most legible. Avoid a color that matches the area behind the text.

How do I add text over a photo on my phone?

Open this page in your mobile browser, upload the photo, type the text, and download. The tool runs in the browser, so it works the same on iPhone and Android — no app required.

What is the difference between a watermark and text to image?

A watermark (or 'add text to image') writes your text onto an existing photo. 'Text to image' (or 'text to image AI') generates a brand-new image from a text prompt. They are different tools for different jobs — this guide covers adding text onto a photo.

How do I remove text from an image?

Removing text is the reverse job. Upload the photo to our Object Replacer and the AI erases the unwanted text while keeping the rest of the scene intact — no smudge tool needed.